Biography
Who is Chiwetel Ejiofor?
Early life and education
Chiwetel Ejiofor was born on July 10, 1977, in Forest Gate in the East End of London. His parents were of Igbo descent from Nigeria. His father, Arinze, worked as a doctor, and his mother, Obiajulu, worked as a pharmacist. He grew up alongside his sisters Zain and Kandi.
In 1988, during a family trip to Nigeria, a car crash resulted in the death of his father and left Chiwetel with injuries. He attended Dulwich Prep & Senior and Dulwich College, where he began acting in school productions. He later joined the National Youth Theatre and attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
Career beginnings
Chiwetel Ejiofor made his film debut in the television film Deadly Voyage in 1996. Shortly after starting his course at drama school, Steven Spielberg cast him in a supporting role as James Covey in the 1997 historical drama Amistad. He subsequently built a strong reputation as a stage actor in London, performing in various theatrical productions.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, he appeared in stage plays like Blue/Orange and Romeo and Juliet. He received several nominations and awards for his theatrical work, including the Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer and the London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer.
Major film roles
Chiwetel Ejiofor expanded his film resume with appearances in Dirty Pretty Things in 2002, Love Actually in 2003, and Kinky Boots in 2005. He also took on roles in science fiction and action films such as Serenity, Children of Men, 2012, and Salt. He joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Karl Mordo in Doctor Strange in 2016 and returned for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
His career reached a major milestone when he portrayed Solomon Northup in the historical drama 12 Years a Slave in 2013. His performance earned him a BAFTA Award for Best Actor and an Academy Award nomination. He also voiced Scar in the 2019 adaptation of The Lion King and directed, wrote, and starred in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.
Birthday and age
Chiwetel Ejiofor was born on July 10, 1977, which makes Chiwetel 49 years old today. That birthday falls under the Cancer sign. Chiwetel shares the date with 64 other famous people.
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